Sunday, August 29, 2010

ESPN.com's Tony Jackson is reporting that Manny Ramirez is indeed off to the White Sox, and the White Sox will either pick up all $3.8M remaining on his 2010 salary, or part with a prospect for a bit of cash relief. (On the eve of the McCourt trial's beginning, I can guess which option will be chosen.)

Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Manny Ramirez is headed to the Chicago White Sox on Monday in what is looking like a straight waiver claim, a league source with knowledge of the situation said Sunday on condition of anonymity.

The source said there was still some chance the two clubs will work out a trade that presumably would involve one from a list of a handful of prospects going from the White Sox to the Dodgers, a development that probably would mean the Dodgers would pay some percentage of the $3.825 million remaining on Ramirez's two-year, $45 million contract, depending on the quality of the prospect.

Another league source, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the Dodgers' preference at this point is to simply allow Ramirez to go to the White Sox as a waiver claim, in which case the White Sox would be responsible for the entire $3.825 million. The Dodgers have had that option available to them ever since the White Sox secured waiver rights to Ramirez on Friday. [...]

Ramirez didn't start any of his final four games with the Dodgers. He pinch hit in the top of the sixth inning of Sunday's 10-5 loss to the Rockies but was ejected from the game after one pitch when he argued a called strike that appeared to be a few inches off the outside corner. That apparently was his final act in a Dodgers uniform.

Ramirez is batting .311 this season with eight homers and 40 RBIs, but has played in just 66 games due to injuries.

More on this tomorrow. I'm working on some puzzles, to keep my mind off this sad stuff.

I'll go with Konerko and Lee (and Dunn, mentioned earlier), but Berkman is 136 and can't move, and Glaus hasn't been able to do much but in short bursts for Braves this season, so I consider them both less than Loney (e.g., lose a lot in defense for moderate gain in power).

I don't think the team has shown much faith in DeJesus, especially with his leg injury, and I fear they'd go with Juan Castro before him. Which wouldn't make sense if the season really is over. Let the kids play, like DeJesus and Trayvon Robinson.

Clarification: I said 3 SPs, with the implication of other than Kid K and Bills, but didn't necessarily mean we had to get 3 big time SPs. Or that they had to come from outside the organization. Although I would love to see a legit #1 stud, which would make Kid K and Bills even better by taking some of the pressure off, then another serviceable, inning eating 4, etc.